Exc-el Network

Talking about enterprise...

The Enterprise in Education blog is the new place to:

• learn about Determined to Succeed in East Lothian
• find out about what's happening from a new Calendar of Events
• get involved, whether you're a student or staff member, parent, carer, or business person
• talk about enterprise in education
  • add your comments and reply to others, if you've more to say,
  • get signed-up to contribute your own posts to the blog

Stories, poems, spooks and granny go-karts - from Yester P7

Over at Yester P7's "Year in Yester" blog the last couple of days have seen a flurry of creative new posts. Why not take a look - and maybe leave a comment while you're there?

• P4’s digital media presentation!

However, instead of actually filming in Haddington, the children went one step better, and created their own “set” of the High Street in winter. They then filmed the street, going down one side and coming back up the other.

• My Spooky Story, by Jordanne

The shrieking then started, many were petrified. I felt unimaginably frightened...

• ‘’The Possum”, A rhyming couplet by Sam

I opened it, it was a toy possum
It is really, really awesome...

• Tomorrow’s Inventors, by Lucy and Erin

For the P7 Enterprise we are doing a competition in which we have to invent something which can sort an everyday problem...

• “Nothing”, a story by Carla

The human made the floor creak. The human stopped, and looked around the room. She spotted ‘Nothing’. She picked ‘Nothing’ up and took him to her room...

Pencaitland Primary School have started using a school weblog for news of what's happening in the school. This is a small school, of just over 200 pupils, and the blog has contributions from pupils in various classes. They've had a few comments on their blog, but would be delighted to get a few more! If you get a chance, why not visit their blog and give them some feedback?

Using ICT creatively?

If you're an East Lothian teacher wanting to use ICT creatively, say for an Extreme Learning project, Emma Griffiths may be able to help. More details on this page of the project wiki.

"My role in East Lothian ... is to support teachers who are using ICT creatively. I am on a one day a week secondment from my primary teaching post. I would like to make personal visits, and I am flexible, but there are lots of you, and one of me, for one day a week."

Angus MacRury has moved

If you're new to Exc-el, you might not be aware of Angus MacRury's blog. Angus is the Head Teacher at East Lothian's small, rural Innerwick Primary, and has been blogging up till now on the original Exc-el weblog site. He's now moved to the new site, and his blog's now to be found at http://exc-el.org.uk/blogs/angusmacrury.

"This means that I am Trusting and if overdone Gullible. Loyal and if overdone Blind. Helpful and if overdone Smothering. Modest and if overdone Self-effacing. Devoted and if overdone Subservient. Caring and if overdone Submissive. Supportive and if overdone Self-Sacrificing. Even I don’t recognise me!!"

Why not drop in and say hello?

New Parent Weblog

No, not the weblog of a new parent. This one's from the Mum of a Ross High student, and it's at http://exc-el.org.uk/blogs/guineapigmum.

"Must confess to finding the site whilst writing a letter of complaint to the school (more about that later) and it set me thinking that teachers must feel that they only ever hear from parents when things go wrong. So this I hope is an opportunity to talk about the things going right from my viewpoint - as well as the odd problem of course."

It looks like this one's going to be essential reading. Why not pop along and say hello?

Learning with blogs - this Friday

Ewan McIntosh is hosting a CPD session on educational use of weblogs this Friday. The event will help you gain an understanding of how weblogs can help you in the classroom or in your professional development. The session will include:

• A 15 min overview of some different applications for blogging (from teacher-only, whole class and individual learner perspectives)
• Security and safety issues
• A discussion on ideas for using the tools
• Some inspiring examples!

Where? Prestonpans Education Centre, Gardiner Terrace, Prestonpans, EH32 9DT Map
When?  1.00pm Friday, 10th November (tbc)

Class WordPress blogging starts

Now that the Exc-el Edublog service is up and running, it's available for all East Lothian learners, including for class and student blogging. The photos in the banner show the first student blogs being posted on the last day before the break. We're deliberately not publicising them, though, until all the students have got their blogs looking the way they want!

If you're thinking of giving it a try, please check first of all that the PCs you plan to use have got Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 6 installed. Most have, but there are still some around on Version 5.5, and it doesn't allow WordPress to work properly. Just start Internet Explorer, then click Help, then , from the drop-down menu, choose About Internet Explorer. If your PC has V5.5, you'll need to contact the helpdesk to arrange an upgrade.

Please contact David if you want to find out more.

Exc-el is changing...

Welcome to Exc-el! If you're a new visitor, you'll probably want to have a look at the Exc-el links. The Exc-el logo link takes you to the home page of the "version 1" site.

The design's changing because there's more happening. Up till now, the site's audience has been mainly education professionals - and it hasn't been of much interest to students. Now, with the introduction of student blogging, it's time for that to change.

The home page now offers links to the main Exc-el site, but also provides a link to the new WordPress-based Exc-el Edublogs. You can also expect to see links to what else is happening around Exc-el, wherever it is on the web.

What would you like to see here?